Empathy

 Empathy:

Empathy is the understanding of others by being aware of their needs, perspectives, feelings, concerns. It is being sensitive to what, how and why people feel and think the way they do. Being empathetic is to be able to read the emotions of other people. Empathetic people care about others and show interest in and concern for them.

Beautiful example

Shiv Khera which he explained with the help of small story of a little boy. In this the little one went to purchase a puppy from the shop, there he saw a small puppy with the broken leg and decided to purchase that one, and thus asked the shopkeeper the cost. The shopkeeper replied that there are other puppys too, why you want to purchase this one, as it is not well? He further said that still if you want to purchase this one I can give you a good discount. But, the boy was ready to pay the full price and didn’t want to purchase that puppy at discounted price. The shopkeeper was surprised and asked the boy the reason behind this behavior. The boy lifted his trouser and showed that even he was having one broken leg. This is where empathy comes in practice. The boy didn’t want to feel discrimination in the world just due to the physical challenge he was facing. This behavior of understanding, care and concern leads to Empathy- one of the important aspects of Emotional Intelligence. 

a shift from doing a ‘job’ to ‘serving the people to “spirit of service”.attributes

First empathy’. The civil service is the most visible ‘face’ of the government since citizens contact the civil servants for various services. The government’s image depends to a large extent on the image of the civil service and the manner in which it responds to people’s needs and aspirations. Empathy and courtesy at the cutting edge level can really enhance customer satisfaction. In fact, the hallmark of a well-functioning civil service is the ability to ‘serve’ the citizens with respect and alacrity.

Second is the ‘agility’, the ability to access information and knowledge and creatively apply them to new situations.  Keeping our eyes and mind open and our ears and feet to the ground, we need to innovate and improvise to suit the life contexts of the people we are serving.

Third, is to re-define “accountability” and shifting the focus to ‘outcomes’ and not merely concentrating on ‘activities’. If we have to serve the people, we must know what the real concerns are and be able to address them.  We must have the ability to measure our success by the tangible outcomes, by the changes we are able to bring about in the lives of our people.

Gandhi Quote :

Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [woman] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her]. Will he [she] gain anything by it? … Then you will find your doubts and yourself melt away.”